What is hannukau?

Answer 1

Hanukah is a minor Jewish holiday that celebrates a successful rebellion against Greek rule in Syria around 96 BCE. The king Antiochus tried to put down the rebellion, but the Jewish rebels, led by the Maccabee family, won several battles. The story goes that, when the Maccabees were surrounded in a synagogue, they needed to keep the eternal light in front of the Ark (the cabinet where the Torah is kept) burning, but they had almost no oil for the lamp.
They prayed and then used what oil they had. Even though the oil was gone, the lamp burned for 8 days and nights. That's why Hanukah is called the "Festival of Lights" and why it lasts for 8 days.